The Bribble

[ September 29, 2000 ]

Regrets, I've Had a Few...

By Paul270769

So anyway, I'm feeling a trifle reflective since I turned 31 last month. For most people 30 seems to be the age that they start getting all philosophical, but with impending co-habitation and job insecurity the fragile nature of my finances is thrown into focus.

The problem is that... well, I don't see a problem. I've survived the student overdraft (the truth is I've still got most of it) and my credit card isn't happy unless it's loaded with a couple of grand. However, along the way I've bought a house in the right (appreciating) area and I've made a few pretty Foolish investments. Sharesave schemes may not be the most complicated things in the world, but they are Foolish.

I've also done a few Wise things. Yes, I got stung with the endowment, but even that isn't all bad seeing as Friends Provident are demutualising. The principled person in me suggests that I should find that word abhorrent, the capitalist in me disagrees and always seems to get the upper hand.

So then I heard about all these tech stocks that were going crazy last summer and I started checking out the websites. I fancy a bit of double-your-money action, I thought to myself, just as said tech stocks were planning on quartering my money.

So to my point. I sometimes get a little distressed when I read on the bulletin boards that perhaps -- no, certainly -- I have paid thousands of pounds during my 20s into the hands of banks, finance houses and credit card companies, and I sometimes wonder what I could have done with all that money. But then it strikes me that perhaps I would have saved it to buy a bigger house, a better car or -- God forbid -- put it towards retirement.

Now I like this investment thing, because I'm just at the age where it interests me. And just as I think that many followers of the Fool would admit that the money isn't the important thing, I truly believe that the enjoyment of money is the important thing. Don't lose sight of why you're doing it!

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